Orange Date Madeleines

Just as Ramadan and fasting are synonymous, so are Fasting and Dates. You will not find any household that is observing the holy month of Ramadan without dates. Dates have a great significance, and the tradition of eating them go back to the 7th century. I won’t give you a lesson in history about them, but I will tell you why they are the best thing to have after fasting . During the period of Ramadan, when fasting lasts from sunrise to sunset, the body can develop mild health problems such as headaches, low blood sugar, and lethargy. To avoid such problems, one should carefully monitor their eating habits once fasting for the day has ended. Dates are an excellent source of fiber, sugar, magnesium, potassium, and have carbohydrates which will aid the body in maintaining health. The carbohydrates found in dates also make the fruit a slower digesting food, much better than fried or fatty foods which digest fast and leave one hungry for more!

Having told you that, here’s how the inspiration for these madeleines came about … Every evening at Iftar ( fast breaking time) our table has these staples – Dates, Oranges, 1 other fruit and a soup or a snack. A week into fasting and I’m already bored of the regular and was thinking tomorrow I want to break my fast with cake. Well as you might already know I simply adore cake, and I believe life is too short and one must have cake everyday. In any form or shape. A layered cake would’ve been too much, so I thought madeleines would be prefect bite sized cuties. Flavours … why not do the Ramadan theme … Dates n Star Anise and to add that zing the oranges ! I have to tell you this recipe is a keeper. Its probably the magic of Ramadan that makes everything taste so good and perfect, but these Madeleines turned out really unexpected. They are soft , just perfectly sweet with that light hint of the star anise and the orangey flavour kicks right in. My perfect Ramadan Madeleines

Ingredients

makes 24 madeleines

150 gms pitted and chopped dates

3 tablespoons of your favourite orange marmalade (make sire they have those delicious orangey bits in them )

200 ml hot water

1tsp Soda Bi Carb

2-3 Star Anise

pinch of salt

170 gms flour

60 gms cane sugar

60 gms butter

2 large eggs

1tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Grease the Madeleine tins with butter and set aside.

Place the chopped dates & star anise a bowl and pour boiling water straight out of a kettle onto it. Mix in the marmalade and soda bi carb and let it sit for about 10 mins. Meanwhile cream the butter and sugar with light and fluffy. One by one mix in the eggs well. Now add the date mixture ( first remove the star anise) and give it another good mix. Gently fold in the sifted flour and baking powder, not knocking out too much air. Now fill the molds 3/4 full. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for about 15 mins. Repeat if using a 12 mold tin. This batter makes exactly 24. Sift lightly with caster sugar when ready to serve.

Good work Kajal!
“Well as you might already know I simply adore cake, and I believe life is too short and one must have cake everyday. In any form or shape.”
One hundred percent true!:). No one should fall into the stereotype, specially with your cooking skills it will be shame:).